Invader Zim (TV series)
Invader Zim, branded as Invader ZIM, is an American animated television series that was produced by and subsequently aired on Nickelodeon. The series is centered around an Irken invader named Zim who is attempting to conquer and/or destroy a dark and satirical version of Earth at some point in the future. Zim's schemes are usually foiled by his enemy Dib. Dib is a paranormal enthusiast who cares about saving humanity and seems to be the only person aware of Zim's intentions. The show has no clear distinction of a protagonist (hero) or antagonist (villain). Last broadcast on March 30, 2001, Nickelodeon had desired a show for their older demographic when Invader Zim was greenlighted. Nickelodeon promoted Invader Zim for this purpose to much critical acclaim, but did not provide a consistent time slot that the creators of the program thought suitable for the demographic. Consequently, the show suffered in the ratings after an initially lukewarm viewership. When it was obvious that Nickelodeon would drop the show, the crew requested that Invader Zim be moved to MTV as Ren and Stimpy had been, but this did not occur even after the show entered syndication. Before the second season was completed, Nickelodeon cancelled the series, leaving at least seven episodes and a planned television movie series finale unfinished. Because of its continued fan base and above average DVD sales since series production ended, various observers have labeled Invader Zim a cult hit. The show completed its run in European and South American territories normally, and can currently be seen in syndication on Nicktoons Network, which started airing the completed season two episodes in Summer 2006. In Canada, YTV began airing the series on its Bionix programming block on September 8, 2006. The Invader Zim DVD collection has been released by Media Blasters in North America. The series has also been translated into several different languages (including Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Japanese) for foreign broadcast in more recent times. Reruns returned to the Nicktoons Network on September 8, 2008. Invader Zim did not escape criticism however. When Invader Zim was launched along with The Fairly OddParents, Christian Parenting Today criticized both programs negatively. In March of 2010, Invader Zim returned to Nicktoons Network for one month. This has, of course, brought forth rumors from fans, who believe that Nickelodeon is testing the fanbase to see how many people will watch Nicktoons just for Invader Zim, and that they might bring the show back if the results are favorable. There is little possibility of this, however, and even if - by some small chance - it was ''brought back, it would likely be very different, given that it would have a new creative team altogether; most of the original staff (including Jhonen) have stated that they wouldn't work on the show again if it was to be revived. In April of 2010 New Invader ZIM dvd's came out on, http://invaderzimondvd.com/ To visit the offical page on Nicktoons.com, click here: http://nicktoons.nick.com/shows/invader-zim Plot Invader Zim revolves around the life of its title character, Zim, and the humans who are aware of him. Zim is a member of the imperialistic Irken race, an extraterrestrial species whose social hierarchy is based on height. The Irken leaders, known as the Almighty Tallest, are named Purple and Red, and serve together because they are exactly the same height. As recounted during the series premiere, "The Nightmare Begins", Zim, who is both very short and very naïve, was banished to the planet Foodcourtia for overzealously attacking his own planet and allies during Operation Impending Doom I. Upon hearing of Operation Impending Doom II, Zim escapes from Foodcourtia (or "quits", as he seems to have thought of it more as a mission than an exile) and arrives at the Great Assigning. Here elite Irken soldiers are chosen to become Invaders; special soldiers whose mission it is to blend in with the indigenous life forms of their assigned planet, collect intelligence, and prepare the planet for conquest by the Irken Armada. Zim pleads with the Tallest to assign him a planet, and in a desperate act to get Zim as far away as possible, they assign him to a presumed planet on the outskirts of their known universe that has never been explored. This "Mystery Planet" is Earth, and Zim's erratic attempts at world domination and/or the eradication of the human race begin. Intro Sequence Every episode starts out with a short introduction sequence that quickly explains the plot. It starts with Zim appearing before a crowd of Irkens. The Tallest then send him and GIR to Earth. Dib, Gaz, and GIR are quickly shown, followed by Zim daydreaming about taking over the planet. Unfinished Plot "Ultimately, my idea was to take his sights off world domination, as ZIM begins to understand that there is a beauty in human life, an understanding that sets him on his path to becoming a public legal defender. I was very inspired by Ben Affleck's powerful courtroom scenes in ''Daredevil, and I wanted to move people to tears like those scenes moved me. But the show was canceled before any of that, thus leaving our audience of ten unfulfilled." (Jhonen,speaking sarcastically)